OTTAWA—The Canadian government is condemning Hong Kong’s law enforcement authorities after they issued bounties and warrants for 19 pro-democracy activists, some of whom live in Canada.
In a joint statement, federal Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Saturday that Canada will not tolerate what it describes as an attempt for Hong Kong “to conduct transnational repression abroad.”
The statement came after Hong Kong police announced Friday warrants and rewards for 19 activists for “suspected contravention” of its National Security Law for their roles in promoting self-determination in the Chinese special administrative region.
Some of the activists named, including Canadian Victor Ho, already faced warrants stemming from an announcement from Hong Kong in December and have a HK$1 million reward for information for their arrests.
“The new warrant … will help to draw more attention for (the) international community to realize that the transnational repression of (China) is so toxic and dangerous to normal people on exercising freedom of expression and speech,” Ho said in a text message to The Canadian Press.
Ho added he was not surprised to hear his name on the new warrant list again, and the best policy on handling the situation is “to keep everyday business as usual as possible.”
The new list of 19 people added at least three other Canadian residents to the list with rewards of HK$200,000 offered, including Vancouver-based activist Keung Ka-wai.
Keung said while he is somewhat concerned about his safety, he does not plan to stop his work in the Hong Kong democratic movement as he has already been arrested nine times and jailed twice for his participation before leaving for Canada.
“It is very important to us because that is our dream,” Keung said of the pro-democracy movement. “And we have to do what must be done to develop the democracy of Hong Kong.
“I think it is really important to me and to every Hong Konger.”
Hong Kong police said in its announcement that they are calling on those on the wanted list to return and turn themselves in instead of “making more mistakes,” but Keung said he has no plans to do so.
Ho agreed, adding that he is not concerned about his personal safety and has cut off all contact with Hong Kong family members since last year, and Global Affairs Canada has reached out to find out how many people living in the country are being targeted.
In their joint statement, Anand and Anandasangaree criticized the warrants and say Canada “stands in solidarity” with other “international partners whose citizens and residents have also been affected by the new development,” which it calls an “act of transnational repression.”
“The individuals targeted yesterday under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada,” their statement said.
“Canada reiterates its previous calls to repeal this law, which violates Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations, and withdraw all related warrants and bounties.”
Back in December, Ho responded in a Facebook post to his name being on the then-announced wanted list as the “best Christmas present.”
“A Canadian citizen like me … has the protection of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and exercised his right to the freedom of speech,” said Ho, who is the former editor-in-chief of the Sing Tao Daily newspaper.
Ho helped launched a plan in Canada to elect an unofficial “Hong Kong parliament” in 2022, and the organizers’ Facebook page says voting wrapped in June and garnered 15,702 total votes.
